FemBeat: Concierge Fertility Startup Future Family Launches Reciprocal IVF Program For Lesbian And Trans Couples

The fertility space has flourished over the past few years, giving rise to freshly-minted startups that offer more affordable egg freezing options, at-home fertility test kits and health clinics for women by women. And as assisted reproductive technologies evolve scientifically, so does their reach into society. Future Family announced today that it is launching a new membership plan for lesbian and trans couples who want to opt for reciprocal IVF — when one woman’s egg is fertilized by a donor sperm and implanted into the other woman’s uterus. 

With 20 percent of millennials identifying as LGBTQ+ and 77 percent of them planning to become a parent, this procedure is becoming an increasingly popular option. But there is clearly a lack of open and inclusive fertility practices when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, who often face intense scrutiny and discriminatory behaviors. 

“We’re on a mission to help everyone build the family of their dreams, and the LGBTQ+ community is still vastly underserved in the market,” said Future Family founder and CEO Claire Tomkins, in a statement. “With more and more women coming to our platform looking for help with reciprocal IVF, it just made sense to create a dedicated program to support everyone.” 

As part of the launch, Future Family’s reciprocal IVF membership plan is being offered at a promotional rate of $499 (paid as a one-time fee) for the month of January. After that, the cost will be set at $898. The offer includes a dedicated fertility coach, free fertility testing for both partners (previously $159 per test), sperm bank matching to secure a donor and built-in discounts on medication, among other benefits. In addition to the membership fee, couples can also opt for a personalized fertility payment plan to spread out the costs of their treatments over several years.

“With a topic as delicate as fertility, it was very important for us to pick the right model, and the right wording for that matters,” said Tomkins. “Membership has a more inclusive connotation than subscription.” 

Tomkins launched San Francisco-based Future Family in 2017 after experiencing the confusion, complexity and high costs of fertility treatments herself. 

“I felt like I was a fairly educated person and yet I knew very little about fertility,” she told me. “It was an eye-opening experience.” 

In 2017, Future Family participated in TechCrunch Disrupt’s “Startup Battlefield” where it launched a fertility test for men called the Sperm Activity Test (or SAT). The startup then went on to raise a total of $18 million in funding (seed + Series A), backed by some notable investors that include Aspect Ventures and Portfolia, which has a dedicated "Femtech Fund".  

Even though reciprocal IVF has many similarities with traditional IVF, there is one aspect that makes a huge difference, psychologically speaking: with reciprocal IVF, both individuals can participate in the process. 

“We considered other conception methods, like artificial insemination, to start a family. But we knew that option would leave one of us feeling like a witness, rather than a participant,” said Marisa Amaya, a Future Family customer who went through reciprocal IVF with her partner, Besare Amaya. “Future Family made reciprocal IVF a reality for us and we’re excited more couples like us will now be able to share the experience of pregnancy.”

Other Femtech startups that have addressed the complexities involved with fertility treatments within the LGBTQ+ community is Modern Fertility. The San Francisco-based startup, which provides affordable at-home fertility test kits, recently released a report titled “Modern State of LGBTQ+ Fertility 2019”, which it published in collaboration with LGBTQ+ dating and social app HER and gender specialist and researcher Mere Abrams. 

London-based social app for moms Peanut is also addressing this and recently launched a platform for women trying to conceive. Any woman, whether straight, gay, bi, queer or trans, can join the community to talk about the stress and complexities involved with fertility. 

Future Family also recently announced the launch of the "Trying-to-Conceive (TTC) Membership Plan", which is designed to help couples who are trying to get pregnant.

Because at the end of the day, being open and honest about who you are and what you are going through is the most liberating thing — especially if you have a supportive community that is there to listen.